


Therapy Dragon

by Toaverse



Category: Onward (2020)
Genre: Angst, Angsty thoughts, Brother Feels, But not actual violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon, Post-Movie, T rating because there are some graphic depictions, i guess :/
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24202561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toaverse/pseuds/Toaverse
Summary: Barley can’t help but think about all the possible ways the quest could’ve gone wrong, especially when it comes to Ian.Luckily, Blazey is there to bring exactly what, or rather who, her owner needs.
Comments: 15
Kudos: 35





	Therapy Dragon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Michael_Demos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Michael_Demos/gifts).



> Requested by Michael_Demos (and She Who Must Not Be Named)!
> 
> Enjoy!

The night after the battle of the Stone Dragon has arrived, and as expected, nobody can sleep.

Especially Barley.

The 19 year old lays wide awake in bed, eyes wide open and facing the sealing. It’s 1 in the morning, and he hasn’t even closed his eyes for halve a minute. His mind is all set on yesterday’s events.

The fact that he went on a actual quest with his dad and Ian brings a smile to Barley’s face. The fact that his little brother even has magic warms his heart. The 19 year old had always wanted to have some sort of magic involved, and to actually go on a quest with someone, but had never expected to get both of them (including meeting his dad again) in one day.

It might have been Ian’s 16th birthday, but that day is by far one of Barley’s best days of his life so far.

Well, if he and...Ian had survived...

The thought makes the 20 year old jump, as well as the terrifying moment where Ian crosses the bottomless pit.

Barley can still remember those long seconds like the back of his hand. The robe loosening from the 16 year old’s waist, the agonizing feeling of hoping that Ian wouldn’t turn around and loose all his confidence within a split second, the agonizing feeling of hoping that Ian wouldn’t fall...

The feeling of his heart dropping when Ian turned around and loosing all his confidence, and almost fell...

If it wasn’t for him grabbing the edge on time, his little brother wouldn’t be here right now...

Barley swallows the lump forming in his throat as he processes it all, and all sorts of “what if”‘s of how Ian could’ve died start joining in as well.

‘If he had been caught in the fire in the Manticore’s tarven, he would’ve burned to death...’

‘If he had been trapped in all the rumble of the Stone Dragon, then it would’ve crushed him...’

‘He could’ve drowned if dad took longer to open the hatch...’

‘The Stone Dragon could’ve crushed his skull at any time...’

Imagining all the scenario’s where his baby brother is being brutally killed broke Barley. He can even imagine Ian’s dead, lifeless, brutalized, bloodied body in some of them.

That became the straw that pushes Barley’s breaking point. He tries to swallow the second lump in his throat again, but the tears make their way out of his eyes anyways. God, he wants to see his little brother right now. He wants to see if Ian is okey, to hold him, to make sure he’s safe and sound, to protect him from all the horrible things in the world.

Barley can’t help but let out a few sobs, as he unwillingly imagines all those horrible scenarios that could’ve happend on the quest.

The sound of a curtain dragon scratching on his door is when the 20 year old’s thoughts where cut of. He looks up at his bedroom door, knowing that it’s Blazey.

‘Please Blazey, not now...’ Barley thought, not wanting to deal with the hyperactive dragon at the moment.

But she keeps letting the elf know that she wants to be let in, and after a few minutes of this, Barley finally has enough and quietly opens his bedroom door.

And as expected, Blazey sprinted into the room like she has never been there. While she buzzed around the room, Barley sits on the edge of his bed, his mind falling back into those “what if” thoughts.

It lasted a few minutes, but Blazey eventually notices the look on her owner’s face. The dragon lays her head on his lap with a questioned look on her face, asking “what’s wrong?” Without words.

Barley knows the expression the small dragon is giving him, and pats Blazey’s head softly, feeling a little bit better.

“Nothing’s wrong, buddy.” The elf says, wanting to reassure the green dragon. “Just having thoughts about the quest...” without realizing it, his expression changes into a sad one again.

Blazey notices, and an idea pops in her head. ‘Yes! This will make owner happy again!’ She thought.

“You can stay here if you wa-“ but the small dragon already sprinted out of the room before Barley can finish his sentence.

‘Great...’ he thought, being alone once again.

Barley lays down on his bed again, his back turned to the door while those agonizing thoughts jump right back in his mind.

A tear rolls down his cheek when he hears a quiet knock on his door. Barley turns around to see who it is that can possibly need something. It is Ian, along with Blazey again.

It really didn’t surprise the older elf that his little brother is still awake at this hour, since yesterday had been something special neither of them could even predict. 

The 16 year old’s expression turns into a concerned one, noticing the tear on his older brother’s face.

Within a split second, Blazey was from next to Ian’s side, to next to Barley, saying without words; “Look, he’s sad and needs you!”. And it is enough for Ian to see that there is in fact something.

“Barley, is there something?”

The question has Barley speechless for a few seconds, but his expression says everything. He sits up on the edge on his bed again, his look not changing at all. Blazey lays her head on his lap again, while Ian sits next to his older brother’s right side.

It stays silent for a few more seconds, before Barley speaks up.

“It could have gone wrong, you know...” the older elf starts. Ian doesn’t understands what his brother means, but it became clear to him soon enough. “The entire quest could’ve gone wrong...” Barley had to basically choke that sentence out, feeling a third lump form in his throat. “We...you...could have easily died...”

It instantly clicks in Ian’s head why Barley is quite upset right now, all though the bottomless pit fiasco is the only time he remembers the possibility of death.

“But everything went fine, right?” Ian attempts to reassure his big brother, all though he thinks it will fail miserably. The younger elf is rarely the one comforting people, that’s mostly Barley’s job. “You still live, I still live, everyone still lives. Everything is okey.”

“I know, just...” Barley pauses for a few seconds, patting Blazey’s head softly. “...just what-if’s, ya know...”

Ian nods, understanding what his brother means. He himself mostly had, and sometimes still has, what if’s flowing in his head over night, mostly about school and tests.

Barley throws his right arm around the younger elf’s shoulders, pulling him into a one armed hug. He feels a lot better now, having Blazey and Ian right near him, knowing that the latter is safe and sound.

The 19 year old looks at the small dragon who he’s patting, feeling thankful for her to bring Ian to him when he needed him at that moment.

He couldn’t have asked for a better dragon.

**Author's Note:**

> ÓwÒ


End file.
